The present invention relates to a method for developing programs in a distributed processing system for sharing execution of a series of processes by a plurality of processors, in which a developing processor for developing the program develops application programs to be executed by the respective processors and the developed application programs are loaded to the respective processors.
The development of the programs in the distributed processing system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,055. JP-A 57-146361 discloses a distributed processing method for distributedly processing a series of tasks by processors connected to a common transmission line, in which programs for executing respective ones of the series of processes are distributedly stored in the respective processors, and the programs in the respective processors are started when data necessary to execute the programs have been loaded from the transmission line to the respective processors. This method enables distributed processing of the series of processes by the respective processors without requiring a control processor which controls an overall system.
JP-A 61-286959 discloses a method for broadcasting programs themselves which are to be executed by respective processors, over a transmission line as one of messages so that each processor takes in necessary ones of the programs broadcasted over the transmission line and stores it in its own processor.
In the past, programs are developed collectively. Accordingly, if one program is to be modified and adapted to develop a new version of the program, the new and old versions of the developed program can be identified by merely adding a serial number (generation number) which indicates the number of times of updating to the original program. Based on this number, it is possible to determine whether the developed program is to be further updated (modification or addition) or whether the developed program may be used in an executing computer.
However, this method does not pay attention to a case where programs are separately modified or added in separate developing systems based on one program in a distributed processing system having a plurality of developing systems.
In the conventional distributed processing system, since interfaces among the programs are defined only by I/O data of the programs, it is possible to individually develop respective programs. However, in the conventional method, there is no way to check whether there is consistency among the individually developed programs or between the programs and define information for the programs. This causes a problem in developing the programs.
In the conventional method, when the developed programs are to be loaded to the respective processors, it is necessary to define the I/O messages of the programs in order to identify the I/O data to the programs. If invalid or erroneous information is defined, the program would execute the process by a totally different message than the intended message.